Love Sick
by StainedLace
Summary: Harlock's past comes back to haunt him when he receives a call for help from Lena, the daughter of his former lover Shinunora. Returning to the Gun Frontier, Harlock is confronted with a child who claims she is his, and an ex who will do whatever it takes to make him love her again.
1. Chapter 1

**GUESS WHO'S BACK?** Going to school and working full time leaves you ZERO time to write ya'll, I'm so sorry. But I'm FINALLY done with school for the time being. (May go back later this year and get a higher degree, but taking time off sounds good too.) Anywho, here's something that I've been wanting to write for a **really** long time and I hope you enjoy reading it! Sorry for any errors!

* * *

Love was a horrendously mundane thing, Harlock mused as bullets whizzed past his head. He lived with it day in and day out, putting up with its simplicity, its frustrations, and its stupidity. However, there were times when it could renew itself and remind him just how he could not live without it. Particularly in times like these when he and Adalyn were in a raging firefight with the local sheriff and deputies that sought to arrest them.

"Those bastards are persistent!" she shouted, pressing her back against the wooden column she was firing behind so she could change the clip in her gun.

"I blame you for this," Harlock said to her as he shot through the wooden table the sheriff had kicked over to use as a shield. "You were the one who picked this place to eat, not me."

"How was I to know that this was the local law's watering hole?" Adalyn retorted as a bullet smacked against the pillar, sending splinters flying close to her face.

Harlock snarled at this and redoubled his efforts, expertly shooting one deputy in the collarbone and another in the face.

"I would think that a place that has good food and drinks will attract anyone, not just us pirates." Harlock smiled when he saw that she was unharmed. He still sometimes wondered how he got so lucky, finding someone willing to put up with the dangers that came with him.

"Oh, so from now on we should just hang around the places that strictly caters to people like us then?" Adalyn snapped a new clip in and rejoined him in returning fire. "That would be what? Three bars and one restaurant?"

"Well technically the Blue Blaze is both a restaurant and a bar, so that would be three bars and two restaurants," he joked.

Adalyn rolled her eyes but was unable to keep a grin from her face. Though their date had been ruined by the officers who walked in, took one look at them and started shooting, neither of them could say this was unusual. One of the things she had discovered as the notorious Captain Harlock's girlfriend was that things like these were commonplace and one quickly learned to take them in stride.

At least they were able to get through their meal this time.

"You had better left a good tip," she said as a few awry shots shattered the bottles displayed behind the bar where Harlock knelt.

The pirate sighed at the loss of good booze, and again looked for an escape route. The restaurant, with its concrete flooring, cold lighting, and sleek industrial décor, was gutted. Every surface had bullet holes, lights were shooting sparks, and just about all the furniture was overturned. The location where they huddled was not ideal, against the far brick wall with no windows or doors; they would have to go through their attackers to escape.

"I hate to ask this, but you got a grenade don't you?"

"Aw, you wanna end the fun now?" She reached into a pocket on her belt.

"I told Yattaran we'd be back before eleven," he said. "You know he's a punctual babysitter, if I'm one minute late he'll turn the ship over to Kei."

"Yeah, you should really think about finding a new one for your baby." Adalyn holstered her gun and hooked her finger around the pin. "Cover your ears, this one's _loud._ "

Harlock did as he was told and hunkered down. Adalyn pulled the pin and threw the grenade, choosing to dive behind the bar with Harlock for better cover as soon as it left her hand.

The explosion caused the entire building to lurch and sent the rest of the bottles of alcohol crashing around them. Even with their hands clamped tightly over their ears the deafening boom left a pronounced ringing sound that they both knew from experience would not go away for several minutes.

"I really need to go through your collection of bombs and take those out," Harlock said as he peered around the bar to make sure that the sheriff and his deputies were down.

"What? Did you say something?" Adalyn sat up as she yelled.

"You're going to go deaf if you keep using those!" Harlock called loudly, and stood after seeing their attackers taken care of. "Now what did you do?" he asked at seeing her neck stained with blood.

Harlock shoved his cosmo dragoon back in the holster and went to examine it, ignoring her dismissals.

"I just fell on some glass," she said upon standing. "You don't need to make such a fuss over it."

"You do the same to me whenever I get hurt," Harlock chided as he checked to make sure there was no glass embedded in her skin. "Some dinner we had there," he chuckled.

"At least the food was good," Adalyn mused, remaining still as Harlock gently probed her wound. "And we almost got through our after dinner drinks, so I'd say this date was a success."

Harlock smiled and ceased his exam, satisfied that she appeared to have only scratched herself and if there was glass, it was too small for him to extract.

"So after two years we finally have a successful date? I wonder if we can have another one in two years' time," Harlock wondered aloud as he took her arm and looped it through his.

"I really don't understand how normal couples can do it though," Adalyn said as they walked through the demolished restaurant, sidestepping light fixtures, falling concrete, and the occasional debris from the tables and chairs. "How can they go out to dinner, perhaps a movie then go home all the time? Don't you think it would get rather boring without people trying to arrest or kill them?"

"I don't know," Harlock shrugged as he pushed the front door open for her, only to have it fall off its hinges and smash on the ground. "Although I'm sure they would wonder the same about us and how we managed to stay together for so long."

"Probably because we're a bit on the crazy side, devilishly good looking, and can laugh at things like this." She used her thumb to point at the ruined restaurant behind them. "It's no wonder so many people get divorced nowadays, if they became pirates they'd stay partnered forever."

Harlock laughed and let her walk out in front of him.

They held hands as they walked out of the little cobblestoned town and into the surrounding grassland. The Arcadia lay behind tall, rolling fields in a dried up lakebed some miles away. No one seemed to be milling about the ship when Harlock and Adalyn arrived, but the boarding ramp was down and fully illuminated.

"You need to go have Zero clean your neck," Harlock said as they trudged into the ship.

"It's fine," Adalyn replied, stretching her arms overhead and yawning. "Besides, he went out earlier and if he is back he's probably drunk and will only make it worse."

"Fine, but I don't want to hear you complain when I'm trying to sleep." Harlock instantly regretted making any mention of the two of them sharing a bed when he saw Yattaran hurry towards them.

His urgent stride and panicked expression put Harlock on edge. The only time he ever saw his first mate this concerned was when something had happened to one of their crewmates. His first thought was that Daiba had gotten into trouble again and tried to remember whose turn it was to serve as his minder. They would be the ones looking after him in sickbay if that was where he ended up.

"There you are!" Yattaran cried. "It certainly took you two long enough to get back! I tried calling you, but you didn't answer, but I've got something _really_ important to tell you!"

"What happened?" Harlock gave a lengthy sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could only hope Daiba was on the ship, he really did not want to go back out tonight.

"Oh gawd, don't tell us Daiba got drunk and wandered into a police station to see if he made it to the Fed's most wanted list _again_. The only way I'd be persuaded to go and get him is if I can finally shoot him for his stupidity," Adalyn griped, thinking along the same lines as Harlock. "You should just do what I tell you to do with him; he certainly wouldn't be any trouble then."

"I'm not going to tie him up to the ship like some dog." _Tempting as that may be,_ Harlock added silently.

"As long as you left him a bottle of grape soda and plenty of turkey sandwiches he'd be fine," she responded, poking him in the arm.

"Daiba's fine," Yattaran interjected whilst waving his hands. "It's nothing like that, but earlier this evening there was a recorded message from a girl who claimed to be Shinunora's daughter, she said she was in trouble and needed your help."

Harlock's brow rose high. "Shinunora has a daughter?"

Yattaran nodded. "That's what she said. But it's really disturbing, and knowing Shinunora like we do, I think we should see if this girl's alright."

"Did you make any attempt to contact her?"

"We did right after we watched it, but it's a disposable reception code, there's no way we can return a message."

"I'll take a look at it," he said as he and Adalyn followed Yattaran down the corridor to the nearest computer terminal in a nearby supply room.

The room was cramped due to the amount of freestanding shelves, and the three of them crammed in front of the sole computer as Yattaran retrieved the message stored on the mainframe.

"Shinunora is the bad ex-girlfriend you told me about, right?" Adalyn asked, to which Harlock nodded.

"The worst ex-girlfriend anyone could have," Yattaran muttered as he pulled the file up.

Despite the glare Yattaran received from his captain, Harlock silently agreed with him. His history with Shinunora was downright catastrophic due in large part to his naivety and unwillingness to walk away from certain situations. He was also reluctant to see that there was something seriously wrong with her until it was too late.

The message began to play for the three; but unexpectedly, they could see nothing but blackness on the screen before them. Even more disturbing were the distant sounds of brutal screams, breaking glass, and flesh striking flesh.

"My name is Lena," a voice they strained to hear said. "I'm trying to contact Captain Harlock, I need help." She choked as if holding back sobs. "I live on Heavy Meldar in a place called Bordello Town, my mom is Shinunora."

"My god," Harlock breathed as the little girl kept talking while the shouting continued. A notorious sex tourist destination, Bordello Town was also one of the most lawless cities on the Gun Frontier.

"I'm really scared," her voice trembled. "My mom is getting beat up by one of the men who visits her, and I'm afraid he's going to do something _really_ bad to her. Please help us, I—"

Lena screamed in terror when the small space she was in illuminated with a crack.

"What the hell are you doing?" A voice bellowed at the girl.

They could only see the lower half of her face and white walls behind her for a few seconds before the recorder was thrown to the side by her assailant or by her. The jumbled images and high-pitched screaming intensified for several seconds before everything suddenly went black and the sounds ceased.

"Get everyone back on the ship and prepare for takeoff immediately!" Harlock commanded Yattaran, who jumped at the vicious snarl in his captain's voice. "Now!" he shouted as his first mate remained rooted in place for longer than he liked.

"U-uh, yes captain!" Yattaran nodded and rushed from the room, leaving a fuming Harlock and a startled Adalyn behind him.

Harlock then turned to Adalyn, whose colorless, white face was in striking contrast with the darkened room around them. He knew that she was thinking the same thing as he: the girl was badly hurt and they were so far away and unable to help.

"We're at least eight days from Heavy Meldar," Adalyn breathed.

"We can get there in three," Harlock replied matter-of-factly.

Adalyn sighed and rubbed the side of her neck. Just thinking about the list of parts that they would need to fix the ship afterwards gave her a headache. Harlock had no idea how hard it was to find all the auxiliary units needed for their engines, she was sure of that.

She just hoped it their efforts wouldn't be in vain.

"Just don't get too fidgety when we're grounded for a couple of weeks," Adalyn said.

"You won't have to worry about me," Harlock said as he turned to leave the room. "Any problems we have after we help this girl we'll deal with, let's just focus on getting to Heavy Meldar right now."

Adalyn watched as Harlock left, recognizing the cold determination that came over him. He would keep himself occupied on the bridge until they arrived, and Adalyn knew it would be best to leave him alone. In the meantime, she turned back towards the computer and began to search for engine parts.


	2. Chapter 2

Heavy Meldar was the waypoint between the Earth Federation and the independent systems. It was a planet where ideals and booze were more important than law and order, and the infamous Gun Frontier was the most lawless place in the known universe.

Harlock was a little surprised to find Shinunora back on Heavy Meldar. It was where he and Tochiro first met her when they were still traversing space on the Deathshadow. Harlock often thought of those times as the best in his life, when nothing seemed impossible and everything was much simpler. That is, until he made the mistake of trusting Shinunora.

Even now he felt long buried resentment bubble up inside him as the ramp lowered into the desert sand. He stared into the desolate wasteland and to the town that lay a mile or so away. Years ago he looked forward to coming here, a welcomed respite from the hardships of the pirate life. Even now he could remember he and Tochiro rushing down the ramp, with nothing but booze, women, and fun on their minds.

"You gonna be okay?" Yattaran asked, noting the faraway look on his captain's face.

"I'm fine," he stated, looking down at his first mate. "I'll be fine."

Yattaran looked uneasy under Harlock's gaze, but he said nothing and nodded. He knew what bothered the first mate, Yattaran was one of the few who remembered just how madly in love he was with Shinunora, and how bitter she left him. He wasn't sure if Yattaran was worried that he would let old sentiments or old grudges get the better of him, but Harlock was damned sure that he wouldn't feel any affection towards her.

"Alright," Adalyn said as she shoved a clip into her favorite assault rifle. With two pistols and plenty of ammo clips in her belt pouch, she was fully prepared to follow him into hell and high water to get the girl. "Now that you've thoroughly destroyed our engines and we're stuck here for a while, I say we go get what we came for Captain."

Harlock softly smiled, he had barely seen her these last few days. His race to get to Heavy Meldar had kept him occupied on the bridge with little time to do more than shower and sleep.

"I need to go alone," he said, making both Yattaran and Adalyn raise a brow.

"Are you serious?"

Harlock knew what she was thinking. They had not fought a battle, gone on a rescue mission, or raided a ship without the other since before their relationship started. For him though, this was way too personal. He wouldn't allow her to become involved in this, no matter how much he loved and trusted her.

"Please, I'm going to have to talk to Shinunora and I don't want you there when I do," he said.

Adalyn fingered the trigger guard on her rifle as she glared at him. She wanted to whack him in the head with her gun and scream at him there was no way in hell she was going to let him go off and confront his ex-girlfriend alone, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. He was giving her that pleading look she couldn't refuse.

"Fine," she said, shouldering her rifle. "You'll do what you want anyway."

Harlock squeezed her shoulder then proceeded down the ramp without another word. Yattaran and Adalyn watched him go, both lost in their own thoughts.

Yattaran sighed and folded his arms. He didn't think it was a good idea at all, Harlock going to see Shinunora alone. He normally trusted Harlock's judgement completely, but this was one instance where he wondered if the Captain was making a mistake.

"You know what she did to him right?" Yattaran asked, to which Adalyn nodded.

"Of course," she replied in a matter of fact tone.

"So, you're not letting him go alone are you?" It was more statement than question.

"Hell no," she said. "I'll give him a ten-minute start, then I'll follow him."

"He'll get mad if he sees you."

"I don't care." Adalyn turned to face him and lowered her rifle. "This whole thing hasn't set right with me for a while. You and I both know how Harlock feels about kids, don't you think it's strange that we're here cause a little girl needed help? What if this is some plot of Shinunora's to try to turn him over to the Feds again? He could be killed."

Yattaran shifted on his feet as he pondered, and felt himself growing increasingly concerned. Adalyn herself could now barely keep her anxiety from showing. She fidgeted with the gun in her hands and her eyes kept shifting towards Harlock's direction.

"I'll keep my distance though, I won't step in unless it turns out to be a trap," she explained after taking a steadying breath. "But I can't just sit here, I worry too much about him."

Yattaran felt his resolve crack. He groaned loudly as he began to walk away, leaving Adalyn blinking in confusion. The first mate was not one to disobey a command, and his heart was pounding wildly in his chest at the mere thought of what he was about to do.

"I'm going to get my gun, don't leave without me."

* * *

Bordello Town had changed little over the years. It was still a large town made up of closely clustered buildings, weather worn and old-fashioned. The roads were dry compacted dirt that Harlock kicked up with every step he took.

It was early morning and already sweltering. Harlock felt sweat beading at his forehead and the back of his neck as he trudged up the rickety stairs of the Scarlet Tavern. He pushed open the swinging doors and trudged across the worn wooden flooring, heading towards the bar at the end of the room. The tavern itself was dark, with a high ceiling with exposed rafter beams and an L-shaped stairwell beside the bar that led to a landing above.

The chairs and booths were empty, save for three women in a corner, one crying while the other two consoled her. Harlock paid them no mind and sat down, only acknowledging the portly bartender with a nod of his head.

"Haven't seen you in a while," the barman said, setting a glass before Harlock.

"Haven't had a reason to come back Phil," he said.

Phil nodded and reached under the bar, producing a bottle of bourbon that he filled Harlock's glass with. The pirate drank, savoring the hard spice. He set it back down when he was finished and glanced around while Phil poured him another. Nothing had changed since he'd been gone, though the red embellished wallpaper looked faded in the dim light. This place brought back so many memories.

"So, why are you back?" Phil asked, snapping Harlock from his thoughts. "Looking for someone?"

"Where is Shinunora?" The question visibly startled the bartender.

"Well, uh, she's upstairs," he pointed to the landing above them. "She had a couple of clients last night, probably won't be down for a while. Why? She do something to you again?"

"No," Harlock shook his head. "I got a call from her daughter Lena, she said her mother was in trouble."

"Ah, I see," Phil said. "Yeah, Shinunora's gotten in bad with a local pimp she owes money too. He roughed her up a few nights ago, trying to scare her into giving it to him, but she's fine. Funny thing is, she makes plenty of money, but won't pay the guy. I don't know what's going on in that head of hers."

"I don't think anyone does," Harlock said, drinking again. "Where is the girl? Lena I mean. Is she alright?"

"Oh yeah, Lena's fine. She's got a little hideaway down in the basement," he said. "Usually stays there when her mom is working. I went down there a while ago to get a couple of things for the bar, she's sound asleep."

Harlock nodded, then lapsed into silence and the bartender made no more attempt at conversation. Phil had always been an honest man who knew everything that was going on in town, so Harlock did not doubt his word. He decided he'd wait for the girl to wake up, then confront Shinunora.

Harlock found it very strange that she had come back to the very place they first met. He wondered if it was purely out of choice, as Harlock himself had avoided this place and all remembrances of her for years. However, being back here brought those recessed memories to the forefront of his mind.

A recent victory against a fleet of Federation Destroyers was what prompted he and Tochiro to come to Bordello Town to celebrate. Still riding high on their success, and with plenty of money made from the cargo of the merchant ships the Destroyers were escorting, Harlock, Tochiro, and their entire crew had no other plans than to spend as much as they could on booze and women.

Harlock could still remember all the laughter, the sounds of glasses chinking, and the feeling of being untouchable. He set his glass down and Phil refilled it. But when it picked it up again and drank, the memories completely overwhelmed him.

 _Harlock slammed his glass back onto the bar, his eyes and teeth clenched as the hard liquor he swallowed burned his mouth and throat. Once the sensation had subsided, he took a deep breath and shoved the glass towards the barkeep._

 _"Damn that was good! Give me another Phil!"_

 _"You're going to die if you keep this up you know," he frowned as he poured the young pirate another glass of his homemade whiskey. "This stuff's pretty much pure alcohol, most people spit the stuff out."_

 _Harlock didn't listen and downed the drink. As he dealt with the afterburn, Tochiro grabbed his sleeve and pointed to a woman on the other end of the bar._

 _"Look at that one! Look at that one!" Like a kid in a candy store, Tochiro was overcome with excitement as he bounced on the barstool, marveling at every female in the tavern. "She's gorgeous!"_

 _"Not bad," Harlock said when he looked at the striking redhead Tochiro pointed out. "Not for me though."_

 _"I know, I know, you're only interested in blondes," Tochiro responded with a frown. "You know you shouldn't do that, a woman's beauty isn't defined by her hair color. What if you miss out on someone amazing?"_

 _"Then I'll miss out," Harlock said as the barman filled his glass with bourbon. "C'mon, you have no room to talk, you have preferences too."_

 _"Yeah, but when you're as ugly as I am you take what you can get," he said._

 _"Don't be so hard on yourself, you think Emeraldas likes you because of the way you look?" Harlock replied, sipping the much more palatable drink._

 _"You really know how to be a great friend and a killjoy at the same time you know?" Tochiro said, turning back to his own drink on the bar. "Emeraldas would be furious if I slept with one of these prostitutes."_

 _"I won't tell," Harlock winked, but his friend shook his head._

 _"Nah, I'll sit this one out. I care too much about her to hurt her feelings, so I'll just pick out one that'll be good for you."_

 _"You're too good a man sometimes," Harlock said as Tochiro turned back to the hoard of women with a more inquisitive eye. "Just make sure- "_

 _"Yeah, I know, she's got to have great legs." He adjusted the glasses on his nose as he scrutinized every blonde he saw._

 _Harlock chuckled, feeling somewhat sorry for his friend. He was happy that Tochiro had found the love of his life, but not always being together clearly had its drawbacks. Harlock half listened to Tochiro's nahs and nopes while he continued drinking. Once or twice he scanned the crowd, seeing plenty of attractive possibilities, but none jumped out at him._

 _"What about that one?" Tochiro pointed to a woman in a long red dress standing against a wall, surveying the room. "She looks to be your type."_

 _Harlock considered her heart shaped face and wide green eyes. She was slender, with long pale hair that curled around her face. After a few moments of consideration, he figured he'd go talk to her for a bit, then if he liked her, he'd ask her if she wanted to get a room. The pirate then reached into his jacket pocket and handed Tochiro a wad of cash._

 _"Use this to pay for our tab," he instructed before finishing his drink and getting up from his seat. "I'll meet you back at the ship in the morning,"_

 _"Sure thing," Tochiro replied and pocketed the money. "Just don't get robbed again, okay?"_

 _Harlock nodded and patted his friend on the shoulder, but as he turned to look back at the woman, another caught his eye coming down the stairs from the landing above. Tall and slender, with long blonde hair and flawless features, she was Harlock's vision of feminine perfection._

 _Tochiro saw her too, and like his friend, he stared at her in complete awe with his mouth hanging open. She noticed their gaping stares and smiled, but didn't say anything to them as she walked up to the bar._

 _"Phil, can I get a glass of wine?" she asked, sitting down beside the two pirates and resting her chin in her hand._

 _"Sure," he said and filled a glass for her._

 _Harlock was still standing by his seat, unable to tear his eyes away from her. She was so close he could smell her soft, floral perfume. He cleared his throat and slid back into his seat, choosing to try his luck with the beauty beside him._

 _"You're that pirate Harlock, aren't you?" she asked before he could introduce himself._

 _"I am," he responded with a smile and heard Tochiro cough, then nudge him in the ribs. "This here is my friend Tochiro Oyama."_

 _"It's very nice to meet you!" he said, peering around Harlock._

 _"Likewise," she responded. "My name is Shinunora."_

 _An awkward silence fell between them as Harlock and Tochiro continued to stare while Shinunora sat and smiled, waiting for them to say something. After a minute or so, Tochiro finally looked to Harlock who still sat quietly. He gave him a light kick, but Harlock only cleared his throat and shoved his glass towards Phil for a refill._

 _Unbeknownst to his friend, Harlock was beginning to feel the effects from Phil's homemade whiskey and the numerous other drinks he had already consumed that evening. His muddled brain couldn't come up with anything intelligent to say that would charm Shinunora. In fact, it was another part of his anatomy that was telling him to get her upstairs as quickly as possible, but he wasn't about to listen to that._

 _Harlock never liked jumping into bed with a woman he didn't feel like he won over for several reasons. He was well aware of his intimidating reputation, and didn't want anyone to feel like they couldn't say no to him simply because he was the infamous Captain Harlock. But more than anything, whether a prostitute or not, he believed everyone deserved to be treated with respect and no small amount of courtesy._

 _He took a drink as soon as Phil had finished pouring it and Shinunora sighed._

 _"Are you going to ask me if you want to come back to my room or not?" she finally asked, causing Harlock to slam his drink onto the bar and look up towards the ceiling in relief._

 _"Yes!" he said._

 _Of course, there was no reason to be the intelligent, and sober, charmer if he was the one being propositioned._

 _"Have a good night," Tochiro snickered as Harlock got up from the bar._

 _Unbeknownst to Harlock however, there was someone watching him follow Shinunora upstairs. The blonde beauty turned on the landing as if looking back at the pirate who stumbled on the stairs, but her eyes went to the woman in the red dress still leaning against the wall. Shinunora gave a smile and inclined her head before taking Harlock by the arm and leading him to her room._

* * *

Young drunk Harlock is so much fun to write. :) Reviews are much appreciated, I love hearing what you guys think!


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